Dives and Lazarus (ballad)

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This article is about a traditional popular ballad about a legend. For the legend itself, see Lazarus and Dives. For other uses of the names, see Dives or Lazarus (disambiguation).

Dives and Lazarus is Child ballad 56, and a Christmas carol. Francis James Child collected two variants, in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. It is based on a parable of Jesus (Luke 16:19-16:31), but the story contains some miraculous elements, and has its emphasis slightly changed from the more traditionally Jewish to a more popularly Western Christian view of the afterlife.

As in other popular renderings of the Lazarus and Dives parable, 'Dives (Latin for rich or splendid) was considered as a proper name, and the name even was changed to Diverus in variant B.

[edit] Synopsis

The rich man Dives or Diverus makes a feast. The poor man Lazarus comes to Dives' door and repeatedly begs 'brother Dives' to give him something to eat and drink. Dives answers that he is not the brother of Lazarus, denies Lazarus food and drink, and sends his servants to whip him and his dogs to bite him. However, the servants are unable to whip Lazarus, and the dogs lick his sores instead of biting him.

As both men die angels fetch Lazarus to heaven, and serpents take Dives to hell. In version A, Dives asks Lazarus for a drop of water, and complains about his eternal punishment.